1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to devices for storing and displaying thin substrates such as cards, and more particularly to a compact, tabletop card case for storing, displaying, and operatively receiving preview cards having human-readable information and machine-readable information, the card case also housing the card reader.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The present invention is directed to certain improvements on the Image Access System (IAS) electronic presentation system for displaying stored images, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,994,987, 5,001,696 and 5,233,171, and in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/861,067. The terms "Image Access System" and "IAS" are trademarks of Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co. (3M-assignee of the present invention).
The IAS system requires a substrate, such as a preview card, which contains human-readable information (an illustration or textual description) associated with a stored image, and machine-readable information associated with the location of the stored image, e.g., a software address on a medium separate from the card, such as a computer diskette. One embodiment of the IAS system includes a card reader which supports the card in such manner that it may be viewed by the user and simultaneously scanned by the reader to allow decryption of the machine-readable information. While the prior art card reader/holder is adequate for operating the IAS system, it has been found lacking in certain other desiderata. For example, it does not allow for the storage of cards during transportation, meaning that a separate article is required to retain the preview card in an organized manner (i.e., in the proper order, facing the proper direction, and at the proper orientation). It also does not address retention of the cards while they are not being scanned. It would, therefore, be desirable to overcome the foregoing limitations by devising a card reader which may double as a carrying case for the cards, without adding undue complexity to the mechanical design of the reader, and without adversely affecting the aesthetic appearance of the unit. It would be further advantageous to design a more compact reader, and one which is also ergonomically designed to retain and display the cards during the presentation.